Best Buy will add musical instruments to as many as 85 of its stores by year-end (and probably more locations in the near future). They will use about 2500 square feet of retail space at each site to include roughly 1000 different products with brand names such as Fender, Gibson, and Roland. It’s an $8 billion musical-instrument market in USA and in one swift move Best Buy becomes the 2nd largest retailer in this segment. One final note: Yes, Best Buy also plans to offer music lessons.

Microsoft still believes Vista's problems are mainly ones of perception. To prove this, Microsoft put Windows XP users who had negative impressions of Vista on video. They were asked about their impression of Vista, and then shown a "new" OS, code-named Mojave after the Sahara-like desert in USA. More than 90% gave positive feedback.

Then the Vista-haters were told that "Mojave" was actually Windows Vista. Oops, bet that was a stupefying shock... Microsoft is still trying to figure out how it can use the Mojave footage in its marketing, although they launched a website (of course.) An image improvement effort, known internally as FTP, will see hundreds of millions spent on a broad campaign to push VISTA. Steve Ballmer promised in a memo to employees that it was now time for Microsoft to "tell our story" on Vista. In case the Mojave marketing fix proves to be just another dry desert mirage, Microsoft is already at work on Windows 7.

The music and film industries persuaded the UK’s six biggest Internet providers (Virgin Media, BSkyB, Carphone Warehouse, BT, Orange and Tiscali) to send warning letters to consumers suspected of illegal file-sharing. ISPs argue they are not responsible for content. But they were pushed to do the deal after the UK government said it would impose legislation. The plan follows France (who bullied their ISPs) and countries such as Australia, Denmark, Japan and New Zealand who are in discussions.

A study from the Alliance for Gray Market and Counterfeit Abatement (AGMA) and KPMG says grey market products accounted for as much as 30% of overall technology sales in 2007. AGMA and KPMG want makers to clamp down on distributors and partners.

Vendors lost out on US$8 -10 billion as a result (but that’s before they add in all those iPhone 3Gs drifting from USA to EMEA.)

You only thought hotels in Las Vegas were extravagantwait until you see the new $8 billion CityCenter resort that opens next autumn on the city's world-famous Strip.

CES 2010 can be your first excuse to visit their anchor storea new Apple wunder-store (two levels and 20,000+ square-feet) housed in The Crystals retail section of the project, on the Las Vegas Blvd. side. Developed by Mirage MGM and designed by 8 different architects with distinct styles to create unique spaces, the 76 acres complex of towers just south of the Bellagio hotel will feature over-the-top condos, hotels, casinos and 500,000 square-feet of retail space. So now there will be three Apple stores in a 4-mile section of the Strip.

Smart home device maker Fibaro announces a partnership with network attached storage (NAS) manufacturer QNAP, one adding the features of Fibaro systems to QNAP NAS servers.
As a result, customers will... Read more